Designers, It’s Your Time! Entries are now open for the 73rd ABDA Awards.

We’re thrilled to announce that the 73rd Australian Book Design Awards are officially open for submissions! 

We can’t wait to see the amazing creativity and craftsmanship that’s been poured into this year’s book designs.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Early bird entries close: Midnight, Sunday, 8 December 2024
• Entries close: Monday, 23 December 2024
• Awards ceremony: May 2025 in Sydney (stay tuned for more details!)
• Open to: Australian designers, for books published between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024

Updates to awards categories:
To keep up with the evolution of genres and to encourage a wide spread of entries, some of the categories have changed slightly.

• Designers’ Choice Book of the Year
  Voting process: ABDA members will be emailed a voting form after the shortlist is announced. They will be asked to digitally vote for their top 4 designs to form a designers’ choice shortlist. On the night of the awards, attending ABDA members will be able to vote for 1 of those top 4 books.
• Best Designed Illustrated Book under $50
  A book with over 50% of its pages containing pictorial matter retailing at under RRP $50.
• Best Designed Illustrated Book over $50
  A book with over 50% of its pages containing pictorial matter retailing at RRP $50 or above.
• Best Designed Catalogue/ Exhibition Book
  Design of entire books and catalogues that accompany an exhibition and/or are published by a museum or gallery press.
• Best Designed Educational Book
  An education textbook designed for primary, secondary or tertiary students. To be considered a textbook the book must be aligned to an officially recognised Australian curriculum.
• Best Designed Children’s Fiction Book
  A fiction book for children aged up to 11 which may or may not include illustrations.